Taciturn
by KingdomHeartsLoverLovesYou
Summary: "Who are you, again?" Shizuo and Anri have a midnight talk about Monsters. Anri x Shizuo undertones, very hard to see, but it's still there.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hey, everyone! Haven't been that active recently, sorry about that! I know I've got other stories to tend to, if I do end up tending to them, but I just had to write this. I've really come to like this pairing, and thought I could expand on it, make it something likeable and cute. Not that it isn't either of those things, but character development is everything! So, if you guys like it, feel free to tell me to make another chapter! And constructive criticism is very much appreciated!**

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><p>Sonohara Anri didn't have very much to lose in this life. Her parents, both gone, and with Saika as her only savior, she considered herself devoid of a certain emotion of which others threw around as if it was nothing. It angered her, in the very least, to see simple humans complaining about life —and of course, about that certain emotion.<p>

She refused to say it. Even as Saika,_ her_ Saika, lived for it she would have none of it. Not a single scrap.

For days after her friend Masaomi Kida left, she felt more alone than before, despite the fact that she didn't previously think of herself as such. Who would have guessed someone as innocent yet well-built as her could be lonely? Surely, boys would be knocking on her door every other night, wanting to make her their's.

Right?

If any boy who acted like that existed, he wasn't in Ikebukuro.

Other than love, Sonohara Anri lived for several things. For the memory of her mother, and for her friends. Though so-called friends of her's were scarce, Ryugamine Mikado and Masaomi Kida were the best she could ask for. She thought, _if I could learn to appreciate them, maybe I'd be able to appreciate anyone._ There were several things that had kept her from doing such, however.

Saika.

Masaomi.

Her Father.

Would this cycle never end? Remembering her father's abuse, remembering her Mother as the "great being" detaching her from that abuse, remembering the leave of Masaomi that left her feeling hollow?

No.

Because of memories like that which she kept bottled inside, Sonohara Anri had built up a fair amount of barriers in this life.

Because of her knowledge that she would never be able to fully love someone, she made sure that she could not be tempted by such a pitiful fate. To be at the hands of that empty emotion.

To be sure that she would thus not be hurt by any actions of others, she didn't allow herself to bond with others to a great extent, even if it meant hurting those others in the process.

Lastly, while she could not fully find herself to love, she lived off of the love of others —Saika enabled her to do such a thing. As a Mother, with countless children, Sonohara Anri took advantage of the atmosphere, keeping the loving emotions that she ripped from her victims all to herself. So as to not feel guilty, she beat into her mind that she was a parasite, and accepted her fate.

If there was a God, he gave her this fate willingly. And so she could do nothing but accept it. Sonohara Anri was a Monster.

Heiwajima Shizuo was walking alone with a cigarette in his mouth, enjoying the night. It was quiet, and an Ikebukuro without the Flea was one that he could come to enjoy. After all, so much of his hate, rage, and violence went into fights with that damnable man —Heiwajima Shizuo hated violence.

And so Heiwajima Shizuo hated him.

This man was choosing to live in the present from that point on. He had suppressed memories before, and he could do it this time. He would do everything he could to get the Flea out of his head. At this point, he refused to even think of the Flea's name. Anything about the Flea he refused to acknowledge; wiping him from the slate of memory and fact.

Heiwajima Shizuo knew several facts in life. One, that he was not like everyone else, and he was bound to receive a few stray glances here and there. Two, that there weren't many people who had the same issues as him, and so he shouldn't trust many others. Three, his anger was bound to get out of control sometime, and if anything, he should aim that vending machine straight at the wall rather than straight at that white van passing by.

This man knew that he was powerful. That people feared him. Yet still, he had a hope that just one person would look past that unavoidable aspect of him. No one had stepped up to the plate, however, and he was convinced that no one ever would.

Heiwajima wouldn't give up hope. He could love. He knew he could.

Sonohara Anri has a feeling that Ikebukuro would be quiet, and so she stole away from her solitary abode, deciding to make her way to Ikebukuro Park. No one would be there because of the late hour, but she felt that maybe it would be a bit less lonely.

Meanwhile, Heiwajima Shizuo walked along the rim of the park, not sure if he should stay or not. No one was there, and he was off work until early the next day, but he felt restless —maybe he just needed to keep walking.

He looked out towards the fountain, near a streetlight, and saw a womanly figure sitting there, seemingly patient for no reason. It was curious; Heiwajima Shizuo thought that no one else was there.

Yet there she was.

He stood not ten feet from her, simply staring. Not out of anger or sadness —simply of curiosity. She stared back, and recognized him as Saika's failed target. The same failed target who had saved her from the Yellow Scarves. The same failed target who she had seen shot in the stomach and leg, yet could still walk freely to Kishitani Shinra and be treated without complaint.

"Good evening, Heiwajima Shizuo-san." the young woman greeted him.

"Ah, who are you, again?" he asked.

"Sonohara Anri." was all she answered, remembering that this was the third time he asked for her name.

"What are you doing all by yourself out here? It's dangerous."

"It's quiet."

Heiwajima Shizuo couldn't find himself to argue with her, and as a gentleman, he took a seat beside her. It wouldn't be so dangerous with him near her, after all. "I guess so."

A long silence swept between the two, but it wasn't so bad. It somehow filled the atmosphere, from loneliness to a tidal wave.

Just about at the same time, Sonohara Anri and Heiwajima Shizuo looked to the sky, seeing no stars —only the color of the midnight sky and the bright moon.

She let out a smile, for the memories she could still feel in her heart, and he took a smile of his own —for the memories he yearned to lose.

Hope for them both, it would seem, hidden in the night sky.

"Heiwajima Shizuo-san, have you ever felt happy and sad at the same time?" the question slipped out of her mouth before she knew it. "Ah, I'm sorry, nevermind!"

He took a long look at her, blinking once, then looked back at the sky. "Yeah, a few times."

Another silence.

"Heiwajima Shizuo-san—"

"Call me Shizuo." he interrupted, and she was rendered speechless for a moment, before she nodded.

"Shizuo-san, do you think it's possible for a Monster to feel anything but loneliness?"

Sonohara Anri needed to know, from anyone, that "normal" life was possible for her. Even if they didn't know she was such a thing, it would give her relief. Perhaps, though, she was hoping he wouldn't answer that question. Some things she needed to know for herself. If she could work something out, maybe—

"Even a Monster can suffer from far worse than being lonely."

Sonohara Anri sat at the fountain like stone, gripping the edge of her seat with white knuckles. So selfish. How could she have overlooked a sensitive topic such as this? She knew what this man could do, and though she had the possibility of insulting him by apologizing, she did so anyway.

"I'm sorry, Shizuo-san."

He raised an eyebrow, not expecting it from a girl like her. She seemed so innocent, and so he told himself not to take her question to heart, but there she went. He thought to himself, does she think of me as a monster? Is that why she apologized?

"I..I wasn't asking about you, I'm sorry if I confused you."

"Stop apologizing." he told her, and he gave a sigh. Her grip on the edge of the fountain seat lessened, and her posture slacked a bit. It was when he took a second look at her that he realized that the question wasn't meant for him.

"You honestly don't think of yourself as a Monster, do you?" he asked.

Her hair fell in front of her face, which became hidden. As she stared at the ground, not knowing what he would say next, she felt a heavy hand placed on her shoulder.

"Leave that to me, Anri-san. I'm already there."

"You're not a Monster, Shizuo-san." she protested, her face staying hidden. If he were to brush it back, or if she were to, he'd find her face filled with disagreement. He could hear it in her voice, even. Sonohara Anri was many things, and stubborn in her beliefs was one of them.

"Neither are you."

She did not speak, or even let out a bitter laugh. It was not in her Persona to do so; her only response to a statement such as his would be silence. As she always was.

The atmosphere lightened as the prevailing silence continued, and the two turned their attention to the sky, which was blank except for the moon. As the sky began to lighten from dark blue to a lighter gray-blue, Shizuo Heiwajima realized that they had been there all night.

"You should be getting home." he told her, looking to the girl who had slumped against his shoulder. "Hey, Anri-san."

She was still silent, and when he brushed the hair out of her face, he saw that she was asleep. Giving a sigh, he stood, lifting her into his arms. "You're gonna have to tell me which way to go, I don't know where you live."

Still, she didn't answer him (as she couldn't), and he decided to bring her to the one place he knew she had stayed before. After around twenty minutes of walking, he rang the doorbell of Kishitani Shinra's apartment that he shared with Sturluson Celty, and waited for either of them to answer.

The doctor came to the door, and after a minute of speaking, Shizuo left Sonohara Anri in the Doctor's and the Dullahan's care, knowing she'd be safe there. As he left the area, his phone began to ring, and he saw that it was Tanaka Tom, his employer.

"_Shizuo, where have you been? I told you that work would start early today, we've got a lot to do._"

"Sorry, I'll be there soon."

He hung up the phone, walking down the lightening streets of Ikebukuro, the topic of Monsters on his mind. _Why would she think of herself like that…?_

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Here to bother you one more time~ Feel free to review, and stay tuned for more possible chapters!<strong>_  
><em>


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Alright, with some motivation from friends and my first review ((shout out to JalepenoVampire, thank you so much!)), I was able to finish the second chapter. Since I wasn't sure where to take the plot at first, I think I have something solid to work with! Yay for imagination! Feel free to give me criticism and make a review, I'd love some feedback!**

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><p>Sonohara Anri woke up on the couch of which belonged to Kishitani Shinra and Sturluson Celty. The moment she realized that she didn't recognize her surroundings as that of her solitary home, she immediately sat upright, looking around to see if anyone was near. At that moment, the Doctor came in through a nearby doorway, and smiled in greeting at her awakening.<p>

"Ah, Sonohara Anri-chan, you're awake! I'm sure you're wondering how you got here; Shizuo-san came by earlier this morning and said he wasn't sure where to take you, so he dropped you off here."

"Shizuo-san?" Sonohara Anri thought for a moment, before remembering earlier that day, well after midnight. "Oh…"

"Did something happen? You slept for quite a while." the Doctor looked at a nearby clock, as did the girl; it read the time as thirty minutes after noon. She let out a gasp, as she did not know that she could sleep for so long.

"School—"

"Don't worry, I called Raira to tell them you wouldn't be coming in today." the Doctor waved a hand through the air as if education meant nothing. After a moment, she asked where Celty was.

"She had to make a quick delivery, but she'll be back soon. If you'd like to go home, you can wait for her to take you, or—"

"I can walk." she interrupted his offer with a smile. "Thank you, Kishitani-san." she stood and gave a bow before making her way out the door and into the streets below.

Ikebukuro was a place that anyone could enjoy themselves in; full of interesting restaurants like Russia Sushi and shopping centers like the Ikebukuro Mall, any tourist or resident could easily say that this city was filled with life. Sonohara Anri found it quite the opposite, however, as she could see the true colors hidden beneath the glamour of retail stores and manga cafes. The truth of gang wars, violence, hatred, and even manipulation. With Ikebukuro being controlled by the man named Orihara Izaya, those who knew of his nature knew this city was one to be feared.

Yet she still thought of it as her home.

It could have been because of her stance as the mother of Saika, and having control over Saika's many children who were residents of the commercial city. To be able to tell them what to do, at any given time —though she didn't take advantage of innocents. Sonohara Anri did no such thing in all of her time as the Mother of Saika. No matter how many times she told herself that she was a Monster, or a Parasite, or nothing but a selfish teenage girl, it was deep in her heart that she always believed in the same message.

"An innocent doesn't deserve such a fate."

As she walked down that familiar Ikebukuro street, a smile crept upon her face for no particular reason. Perhaps she thought she could never be fully happy, but that smile was genuine —she knew that much for certain. It wasn't full of bitterness, or sadness. Sonohara Anri felt happy, and she didn't know why.

School must have ended, because when she passed by the Academy, a large group of Raira students came out of the front. Knowing that Ryugamine Mikado most likely went to school that day, she waited by the front gate for him, like she always did so that they could walk home together. Masaomi Kida was part of that cycle too, until he left.

"Sonohara-san, there you are! I didn't see you at school today, and got worried.."

"I'm fine." she told him, and truthfully, she felt like she was. Not even plagued by one of her best friend's leave for once, which was a step up from her previous position. Ryugamine Mikado could see it, and he thought it was a pleasant surprise, especially since he had let go of his worried a while back. It had been a month, and he was beginning to get worried that she wouldn't be able to accept it.

"Where have you been all day?" he asked, out of curiosity.

"I was out late, and I overslept. I was just heading home, though."

"You shouldn't spend too much time out here late at night, it can get pretty dangerous."

"I was safe."

A certain information broker stood atop of a nearby building, watching the two Raira students pass by. As they split away from each other to get to their own homes, his eyes followed the shrinking body of Sonohara Anri with interested eyes. The same eyes that saw that young girl and the 26 year old body guard having a late night talk.

Those eyes were still everywhere.

"Shizu-chan, what are you planning?" he asked the wind, who did nothing to respond. The air was still, and full of static. The calm before the storm, perhaps. Once the girl was out of Orihara Izaya's sight, he turned to the man standing behind him, placing a large amount of money in the other's outstretched hand. "You know what to do, when to do it, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. I've got it handled." the nameless man said.

"Good. I'll be counting on you."

Sonohara Anri was not aware of what was to come this day.

After her absence at school, she hadn't seen Heiwajima Shizuo around Ikebukuro, and she assumed that he was hard at work. _After all, to be the body guard of a debt collector must be taxing work_, she thought to herself. As it was Sunday, however, she expected him to get some time off. Though not necessarily wanting to speak to him about anything in particular, the young girl realized that she enjoyed his company.

She felt safe when she was around him. Especially given the past; watching him save her from a would-be Yellow Scarves attack, and seeing him acting so normal when he was shot twice —once in the stomach and once in the leg. She was there to see his rage throwing those men around, and to see all the blood on the floor.

Despite those grisly memories, she couldn't see him as the Monster he thought he was.

Thinking back on those memories, she unconsciously found herself wandering to the park. The day was nice, and had a light, airy feel to it. The girl almost put a spring in her step, but seeing as she didn't have a reason to, she feigned indifference.

In a less bright alleyway, four men were crowded together whispering amongst themselves. Sonohara Anri had almost passed them by when the largest one in the front —obviously the leader, made an nearly unnoticeable motion with his right hand. In response, the other three large men lunged out from the alleyway, succeeding in startling the young student, and began to chase her down the street.

Even though the light of day lit her frightened face, Ikebukuro was just as dangerous as it would have been at night. She should have been more on guard, and she cursed herself for not doing so before. If she did, she could have at least gotten a few more seconds of a head start —Sonohara Anri was a fast runner, as the Yellow Scarves had found out before. However, these men didn't seem like they were in the yellow scarves. The runner risked a look back at the men, allowing herself to slow for a split second, then picked back up. None of them were wearing anything yellow, as she could notice, which just troubled her deeply.

_Shallow men seeking nothing more than a weak woman._

With this as her only thought, her eyes began to glow red, and she prepared to unleash Saika, when a large crash and metal screeching was heard. The men behind her diverted their attention, as did she, to the growing metallic sound.

A thundering grunt was heard as a large hunk of metal flew towards the men, who yelled in a combination of surprise and fear. All but one —the leader. He rolled out of the way just in time, locking eyes with those of Sonohara Anri, before he dashed towards her, ready to grab her with his large arms. Obviously, she knew better than to simply stand there, and so she turned in the other direction and tried to run away, run anywhere. The man had other plans, though, and lunged after her, succeeding in gripping her ankle.

He tripped her and she fell on the asphalt, which caused a small scrape to appear on her cheek and leg. After a moment, however, the man's grip was released and a cry of pain was heard from the fallen leader. As the girl looked back, a large foot had planted itself in the radius of her attacker, causing the bone to snap and thus his cry was heard. As she dared look up at the profile of her savior, though she already knew who it was, blonde hair and dark blue sunglasses framed an angry expression.

"Gah, I hate violence."

She scrambled to her feet, causing her leg and face to start throbbing. The wounds were dirty and she needed to clean them soon.

"You alright?" Heiwajima Shizuo looked to Sonohara Anri with an indifferent expression, though regaining his frustrated and annoyed disposition when the fallen leader of her attackers tried to squirm away. Unable to speak, she nodded her head quickly, taking a single step backwards. She was ready to leave, but the attack had given her a scare, and her legs were gently wobbling.

"Here."

She looked up at the blond man, who had taken a small white packet out of his bartender coat pocket, and held it out to her. She held out her own hand under his, and he placed it in her palm. After a second of inspection, she unintentionally asked, "A Band-Aid?"

He nodded with that unchanging expression. "Uh, Celty makes me carry them. You can keep it, though, since you're scratched up."

She bowed and thanked the man, who offered to walk her home. "You don't wanna be attacked again, right?" he asked her, and she nodded while fumbling with the plastic packet.

Without another word, she started off in one direction and he followed closely behind her. It was roughly a half-hour walk, and throughout the silent journey many bystanders risked glances at the well-endowed young woman. In response, the bodyguard glared with the intensity of a choleric Doberman, causing said bystanders to cower and avert their gazes.

Sonohara Anri did not notice this until only two blocks separated them from her home, and she left him a questioning gaze from the corner of her eye of which he did not answer. Sighing silently and feigning indifference to his actions, her legs slowed as they came into sight of her home.

"Thank you for walking me home."

"Yeah."

A moment of unsure thoughts kept Sonohara Anri from moving forward into her apartment, and a reflection of similar consideration kept Heiwajima Shizuo from moving on and away. However, he was the first to break the mutual graceless taciturnity.

"—See ya."

It wasn't much of a silence breaker, but enough to distract her from the awkward moment. After giving him a nod, she watched him walk off for a second before walking through the front door of her home. Immediately, she sensed another presence there, and so she braced herself before looking out into the living room.

Sonohara Anri glared at the intruder silently.

"Oh, why did I have to leave this town when it was getting so interesting?" the new figure teased her. Still she stood —silent; her unwavering stare boring into chestnut orbs. "Rhetorical question, of course, I don't expect you to answer that."

"How did you get in here?" she demanded, and it chuckled.

"I have my ways." was all he answered, an uncomfortable grin resting on it's face.

"Why?" she dared to ask, feeling her face and leg beginning to throb.

"To catch up, dear Anri-chan. I fear things have gotten quite interesting."


End file.
